GA GOP Rep. Would Force Women To Prove Miscarriage Happened Naturally Or Face Felony Charges

Georgia state Rep. Bobby Franklin (R) has made a name for himself by introducing far-right extremist bills. He has introduced legislation barring the state from requiring vaccinations, eliminating income taxes and replacing them with nothing, and requiring state taxpayers to only pay in gold or silver.

Now, he has introduced what may be his most offensive and extreme bill yet. Last week he unveiled HB 1, which would, as the parenting blog Babble explains, “require proof that a miscarriage occured naturally.” If proof could not be provided, the mother could face “felony charges”:

State Rep. Bobby Franklin of Georgia introduced a bill in his state last week that, if enacted, would require proof that a miscarriage occurred naturally. If a woman can’t prove that her miscarriage–or spontaneous abortion–occurred without intervention, she could face felony charges.

According to WebMed, the overall miscarriage rate in the United States is 15-20 percent. The Mayo Clinic estimates that the “the actual number is probably much higher because many miscarriages occur so early in pregnancy that a woman doesn’t even know she’s pregnant. Most miscarriages occur because the fetus isn’t developing normally.” If Franklin’s radical legislation were to be enacted, it could mean that as many as a fifth of pregnant Georgian women would be forced to have their miscarriages reviewed by the government — the bill suggests creating a county registration list for fetal deaths — which would be a dangerous and unprecedented intrusion into their private lives. (HT: ThinkProgress reader Libel)